Making VBS Memorable–Part 1

Capture the hearts of the kids

“Look Mom!” The seven year old pointed excitedly across the Wal- Mart parking lot. “It’s Jericho!” He tugged his mom across two aisles of parked cars to  reach my husband Dan and hug him around his waist..

Jericho  Ben Rackshack was a character created for our VBS program to teach the children core truths from the lessons. Each night, the bumbling world explorer went through scrapes and scuffles looking for the lost treasure (God;s Word). And each night he had to ask for the help of the boys and girls to get out of whatever trouble he found. They recited bible verses and facts from their Bible lessons to help him.

Because our church was small, with a limited outreach budget  and a small, but dedicated group of volunteers, we opted to create our own VBS that year. Using the rotation model, we planned three different activities – a Bible lesson, time for games and snacks and crafts. For the program opening, we opted to have a nightly skit to reinforce the lessons learned that week.

In addition to help them remember the Bible truths, the skits also kept the kids coming back to find out what kind of trouble their friend Jericho would get into next.

Though our VBS program had been over for three weeks already, the boy obviously remembered much he had learned as he rattled off bits  and pieces from the lessons to his mom. Obviously, the VBS program had captured the boy’s heart, enabling God’s word to stick.

Over the next few posts we will be sharing ways to capture their hearts. Whether you use the VBS curricula developed by a major publishing house or create your own,  you aren’t just there to entertain, you want to excite and involve them any way you can for God’s kingdom!